Vehicle-spring.



A. B. SUTZER.

VEHiCLE SPRING.

APPLlCATlON FILED SEPT- I8, 1916.

Patented Aug. 14;, 1917.

INVENTOR lafz B 5uZ'zer WITNESSES G l i/0345M,

ATTORNEY ALBERT B. SUTZER, OFSTEPHENSBUBG, KENTUCKY.

VEHICLE-SPRING.

Application filed September 18, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT B. SUrznn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stephensburg, in the county of Hardin and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle- Springs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vehicle springs, and more particularly to a spring especially designed for use in connection with automobiles and similar vehicles.

One of the main objects of the invention is to provide a spring of the character stated, of simple construction, so constructed as to eliminate any sudden rebound of the spring.

A further object is to provide a spring having means for resisting the expansion of the spring, such means being so constructed as to offer uniformly increasing resistance to the expansion of the spring.

A still further obj ect is to provide a spring so constructed and mounted as to bring the force exerted by the spring directly on the vehicle axle.

Further objects will appear from the detail description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of the spring as applied, partly in section,

Fig. 2 is an underneath view of the spring, and

Fig. 3 is a central vertical sectional view through the spring.

The spring is of approximately elliptical shape being of laminated construction, having the inner member 1 and a plurality of outer members 2 mounted in superposed relation and decreasing uniformly in length. The members 1 and 2 are held in operative position by the usual clips 3 secured about the same.

At the lower side or bow of the spring, a block at is mounted bet-ween the ends of the inner spring member 1. This block is provided with an integral heavy web portion 5 and at each end, with spaced ears 6. These ears 6 receive pivot pins 7 which pass through eyes 8 at the ends ofthe spring member 1. By this means the block is pivotally secured to the spring at the center of the lower side thereof.

T he web 5 of the block is provided with a central downwardly directed recess 9 which receives the lower end of a coil-spring 10, the upper end of which is seated in a recess Specification of Letters Patent.

Fatented Aug. 14, 1917.

Serial No. 120,737.

11 of a cylindrical socket member 12 secured to the inner spring member 1 at the center of the upper side thereof. The spring 10 materially assists the spring member 1 to support the load of the vehicle.

In using my spring, it is secured at the center of the upper side or how thereof to the side-bar 13 of, the vehicle frame by means of a securing clip 14 and bolts 15, in the usual manner. The block 1 is secured to the axle or shaft casing 16 by means of U- clips 17 passedv about the same at each side of the block, and plates 18 passed above the blocks. With the spring in the position shown in Fig. 1, if the wheel of the vehicle encounters an obstacle, the axle 19 will rise so as to compress the inner spring member 1 and the coil-spring 10. When the inner spring member 1 expands it will engage the ends of the outer spring member 2 which will resist the expansion of the inner spring member, thus preventing sudden rebound of the spring such as would cause unnecessary jolts or jars to the vehicle. It will be evident that the more the inner member tends to expand, the greater the number of the outer members 2 that will be brought into play so that a uniformly increasing resistance will be oflered to the expansion of the inner spring member. This resistance is not a positive resistance, but a resilient one which, as above noted, will uniformly increase in power so as to prevent rebound of the inner spring member without causing sudden stoppage of the same which would result in olting or jarring the vehicle.

Due to the fact that the block 4 is mounted directly over the axle l9, and the ends of the inner spring member are equidistant from the axle, and that the clip 14 is directly over the block 1, all the power of the spring during its compression and expansion will be transmitted directly to the body of the vehicle on a vertical line from the axle. This results in eliminating all swaying or swinging of the vehicle body thus insuring true operation of the spring, and in avoiding all unnecessary injury and jolting.

What I claim is:

l. A vehicle spring having a leaf of approximately elliptical shape, and a plurality of supplemental leaves mounted on the upper bow of said elliptical leaf in super-posed relation, said supplemental leaves being of uniformly decreasing length, and certain of said supplemental leaves extending below the major axis of the elliptical leaf at the ends thereof, so constructed that uniformly increasing resistance is presented to expansion of said elliptical leaf.

:2. A vehicle spring having an inner leaf of approximately elliptical shape, a block mounted at the center of the lower bow of said leaf adapted to be secured to an axle casing, and an outer leaf spring mounted on the outer face of the upper bow of the said inner leaf so as to resist expansion of the inner leaf.

3. A vehicle spring having an inner leaf of approximately elliptical shape, a block mounted at the center of the lower bow of said inner leaf, the ends of said block being pivotally secured to the ends of the inner leaf, and a plurality of outer leaves mounted on the outer face of the upper bow of said inner leaf in super-posed relation, said outer leaves being of uniformly decreasing length whereby uniformly increasing resistance is offered to expansion of the inner leaf.

4. A vehicle spring having an inner leaf of approximately elliptical shape, and a plurality of outer leaves mounted on the outer face of the upper bow of said inner leaf in super-posed relation, the said outer leaves being passed about the ends of the ellipse formed by the inner leaf so as to extend below the longitudinal axis thereof.

5. A vehicle spring having an inner leaf of approximately elliptical shape, and a plurality of outer leaves mounted on the outer face of the upper bow of said inner leaf in super-posed relation, the said outer leaves being of uniformly decreasing length and being passed about the ends of the ellipse formed by the inner leaf so as to extend below the longitudinal axis thereof.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT B. SUTZER.

Vitnesses:

RICHARD Dncxnn, J. M. VVILLIAMs.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

